Shepherd holds 140th commencement ceremonies

May 5, 2013

SHEPHERDSTOWN - In the wings and hallways leading to Shepherd University's Butcher Center gymnasium, scores of soon-to-be university graduates waited anxiously Saturday for word to begin the procession that would culminate with a walk across the stage to accept their degrees and begin a new life's journey.

Some were nervous, filled with the stomach encroaching-butterflies that typically precede any defining moment in a person's life. Others were as calm as the tranquil weather outside, awaiting patiently to turn the page to the next chapter of their lives.

Mackenzie Frampton, a graduate from Harpers Ferry, said the one thing going through her mind prior to the start of Shepherd University's 140th commencement ceremony was a nervous feeling she might accidentally fall when the time came to finally receive her diploma.

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"I am excited to be finished. I actually finished in the summer, but I'm finally getting to walk, so I'm excited," said Frampton, who graduated with a degree in sociology.

Another graduate, John Frick, of Greencastle, Pa., took on a stoic demeanor as the time came for the ceremony to begin.

"This is what you work for. This is what it's all about. You go for your four years with this goal in mind to cross the stage and graduate. It's just the end of a chapter in your life, and it starts the next chapter," Frick, who was also graduating with a degree in sociology, said.

Irrespective of their pre-ceremony temperaments, Elizabeth Ann Greer, who provided the student welcome address at Saturday's graduation, reminded her fellow graduates that they were celebrating a momentous occasion.

For many, she said, the journey wasn't easy. While challenging and exhausting both physically and mentally, she said that, nonetheless, Saturday's reward was priceless and worth the stress.

"We rose to the occasion and in most, if not all cases, exceeded all expectations. We are the future learning from the traditions of our past while questioning and celebrating the events of the present. Shepherd University has been our home, the place we have come over a set number of years to receive an education that is invaluable," said Greer. "Education is the one thing that can never be taken from you, so always be open to it, embrace it, maintain and continue to develop it."

Saturday's recipient of an honorary degree and guest commencement speaker, David K. Hendrickson, told graduates that 31 years ago he was just like them, anticipating graduation and thinking anxiously about the future to come.

"College, as we all know, was a time to learn many lessons both in and out of the classroom. In many ways, it defines who you are and who you will become," Hendrickson said.

A graduate of West Virginia University and the West Virginia University College of Law, Hendrickson is the founding managing partner of Hendrickson and Long, and is an inductee into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has also been recognized by several national publications, including Chambers, USA, Best Lawyers in America and Litigation Magazine in the area of corporate litigation.

Hendrickson is also the chair of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, which he began serving on in late 2006. He served as the commission's vice chair for two years and as the commission's chair for the past four years. Nationally, Hendrickson has represented West Virginia's higher education system as a member of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) Council of Board Chairs.

"You have earned, as graduates, a tremendous gift -a college degree. But the learning has just begun. Some of you will, after today, go on with more formal education while others have completed their quest. Either way, what you now know and possess is a skill, which no matter what discipline you are in, will guide you for the rest of your life," Hendrickson said.

Upon reflecting on what words of wisdom he wanted to impart to the Class of 2013, Hendrickson asked graduates to expand their knowledge; to thank those that helped them along the way; to give back; and, to live their dreams.

"Wherever life's roads take you, you will always be looked upon as an ambassador of this fine institution. Serve it proudly," Hendrickson said.

Before graduates received their degrees, Nicholas Eugene Mummert, a graduating senior, provided some closing remarks and a few last words of advice.

"It would be selfish for me to say we did this all on our own. If it wasn't for the family, friends, staff and faculty - many of which are here in this room sharing this moment with us - we would not be sitting here receiving our degrees today. Thank you to everyone in this room that wouldn't give up on us," Mummert said.